This invention relates generally to agricultural planting equipment and more particularly to a disc opener assembly for a seed planter.
The efficient production of crops requires that seed be planted in various and selective manners that depend upon the type of seed, the soil conditions and the location. The seed planter must be capable of opening a seed trench at a selected depth, accurately space the seeds apart in the seed trench, cover the seed with an appropriate amount of soil and assure that the seed is in proper contact with the soil.
Existing seed planters utilize various adjustment to control the depth of the seed trench, which usually entails the raising or lowering a gauge wheel which, through linkages, raise or lower the discs used to open the seed trench. The closing of the seed trench on existing seed planters utilize a series of wheels to introduce soil into the seed trench and compact the soil over the seed in the trench.
For depth control, some existing seed planters have poorly located depth adjustments. Some require an operator to apply opposing forces, such as lift a handle while at the same time push the handle forward on backward. Some seed planters require the operator to use two hands to adjust the depth of the opening disc. Other seed planters utilize a threaded shaft which is slow to adjust and have a tendency to seize up due to rusty threaded shafts or become bound up due to an accumulation of dirt.
For adjusting the location of the packer wheel, the wheel that closes the seed trench and compacts the sail over the seed, existing seed planters use a threaded shaft for moving the packer toward or away from the seed trench. Such apparatus has a tendency to seize up due to rusty threaded shafts or they become bound up due to an accumulation of dirt. Some seed planters provide no adjustment for the position of the packer wheel. Some seed planters provide fixed shaft with a pivoting wheel. Such apparatus has an area of influence limited to the radius of the pivot.
For cleaning the opening disc, existing seed planters use a scraper mounted on the apparatus for the purpose of removing soil from the disc. Such scrapers are usually rigidly mounted and because less effective as the scraper edge wears and thus becomes more removed from the disc.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a seed planter disc opener assembly that provides a depth control that is conveniently located, can be operated with one hand and can quickly verify the depth setting of the disc. There is also a need for a packer wheel adjustment that allows adjustment in different crop and seeding conditions and allows packing of the seed trench to be accomplished from over the top of the trench or from the side, at various distances, of the trench. There is a further need for a disc scraper that self-aligns with the disc and maintains contact with the disc as the scraper edge wears.
The present invention provides a disc opener assembly mounted on a tool bar connected to a work vehicle for opening a seed trench in the ground upon which the vehicle moves. The disc opener assembly comprises a main arm which is attached to the tool bar, with a disc mounted for rotation on the main arm. A depth adjustment mechanism is operatively mounted on the main arm with a seed placement device located behind the disc to deposit a seed in the seed trench opened by the disc. The depth adjustment mechanism comprises a gauge wheel mounted for rotation on one end of a gauge wheel arm, with an opposite end of the gauge wheel arm attached to a gauge wheel pivot. The depth gauge bracket has an arcuate, elongated slot in which a depth adjustment pin slidingly moves to maintain a constant arm about the gauge wheel to accurately control the depth of the disc opener assembly. A depth control handle is pivotally mounted on the depth adjustment arm and has slots corresponding to bracket teeth on the depth gauge bracket. The handle slots are maintained in engagement with the bracket teeth by a spring mounted between the handle and the depth adjustment arm. Precise, incremented, readily verifiable adjustment of the depth of the disc can be accomplished conveniently and with one hand of the operator. The packer wheel lateral placement is accomplished by the packer wheel being rotatably mounted on an axle, with the axle having a plurality of through bores. The axle is slidingly installed in a position tube having a position hole. A position pin engages the position hole and an aligned through bore in the axle corresponding to a selected position of the packer wheel relative to the seed trench. The disc opener assembly is also provided with a seed placement device comprising a hollow seed tube having at least one sensor hole opening into the interior of the seed tube. A seed sensor is aligned with the sensor hole by a seed sensor mounting device attached to the seed tube and the seed sensor monitoring the flow of seed from a seed receptacle through the seed tube to the seed trench. A seed sensor monitor flow signal is conveyed to the work vehicle, typically displayed in the cab of the work vehicle.
An embodiment of the disc opener assembly has a self-aligning disc scraper comprising a planar member having an edge with the edge aligned and in close proximity to a disc of the disc opener assembly. The planar member is attached to the disc opener assembly with fastener that provide a fulcrum for the planar member to pivot toward the disc. A spring member may also be mounted between the planar member and the disc opener assembly to bias the planar member toward the disc. The planar member and the edge of the planar member may be case hardened by a gas nitriding process. The edge of the planar member may also be separate and removably mounted to the planar member.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description, appended drawing and accompanying claims.